Vintage Pyrex Honeydew Summer Impressions Milk GlassCustard Cup:The green paint on this small bowl tested positive for the following elements at the following levels (with a one-minute test, using an XRF instrument):
Lead: 4,949 +/- 221 ppm
Cadmium: 97 +/- 14 ppm
Arsenic: ND
Mercury: ND
Gold: ND
Platinum: 1,045 +/- 222 ppm
The main reason these lead levels are so low (compared to other similar vintage Pyrex pieces that have lead levels in the tens of thousands of parts per million) is that the flowers in the pattern don’t fill up the full scope of the XRF instrument.
The amount of lead that is considered toxic to children in a newly manufactured item intended specifically for use by children is anything 90 ppm and higher (in the coating.) Vintage dishware is not regulated at all for “total lead content as detectable with an XRF” and neither is modern dishware (yet.) [Isn’t it interesting that it was positive for gold and platinum!] NOTE: These vintage Pyrex pieces will also test positive with a reactive agent test (like a LeadCheck swab: http://amzn.to/2DfE3ER affiliate link).
Take away: if you can avoid having vintage Pyrex in your home (especially for functional applications/ daily use), I would highly recommend that.
Here is a link to a post on my site with lead-free modern bowls:
Do you appreciate my independent consumer goods testing and childhood lead poisoning prevention advocacy work? If so, please consider contributing to my GoFundMe, to help me to continue to be in a position to do this kind of testing: Thank you! https://www.gofundme.com/leadsafemama
Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
#LeadSafeMama
*Amazon links are affiliate links. If you purchase something after clicking on one of these links I may receive a small percentage of what you spend at no extra cost to you.
We have a set of bowls similar to the Vintage Pyrex Honeydew Summer Impressions Milk Glass Custard Cup that you tested. Our bowls are white pyrex with small green leaves around the outside. Your post reported on unacceptable levels of lead in the green decorations. Should we be concerned about lead contamination and if so, why, given that the decorations are on the outside of the bowls and food does not come in contact with the green paint?
Please read this follow up post:
https://tamararubin.com/2020/07/if-the-lead-is-only-on-the-outside-of-my-dish-measuring-cup-mixing-bowl-etc-why-does-it-matter-that-it-has-lead/
Thank you!